Running in the Park

Hi everyone!

I'll be new to the neighborhood in October, although not new to the city, and would like some feedback on running in the park. I am a pretty serious runner, but because of work, I can only run very early in the AM or after dark. Does anyone here run in the park after the sun goes down? How well lit are the paths?

Thanks for the help!

hmm its hard to say, i run in the park on a somewhat consistent basis and i dont like to do it alone after dark. its relatively well lit on the road portion but on the inner paths it gets very dark, especially the tunnels by grand army plaza.

if you stayed up on the main road section i bet you would be fine.

i have never run in the park in the dark. but maybe that's because i'm not a serious runner. i wouldn't do it. do it early in the AM. unless you're faster than haile gebrelaselassie (sp?) or built like michael strahan.

I often get to the park at 5:30 AM for either a bike ride or run. I'm always amazed at how many others there are out there at that time (although you generally only see one or two others until about 5:45 when alll of sudden everybody seems to ocme out. Weird.) Not tons of people by any means but you definitly won't be alone either. There are runners everyday and the serious bikers train on Tuesdays and Thursdays so on those days their are always alot of bikers around. And since early summer there has been at least one police car parked along the main road until it gets light out monitoring everything that is going on.

I've been doing this from spring till fall for at least the last 5 years, although not always with regularity, and have never had a problem nor felt uncomfortable. I am a male but I see plenty of women out there in the dark, some in pairs but many by themselves.

LOCK YOU SHORTS

Related question: Where is the nearest track that is of decent quality?

FYI the park doesn't officially open until 5AM. When I run, I usually go about 4AM. But I'm a great big wuss and the run up to the park, around Grand Army Plaza, and back home is three miles and that is it for me. Running in the area at that time is fine. I mostly see cops sitting, ambulances sitting, drunk folks walking home, and homeless folks gearing up for their day. Side note, why would you think someone running in sweat shorts and a tshirt would be carrying any cash? I carry my cell phone, and my house keys. That is it. Perhaps I should take ID too, in case I'm found lying face down in the gutter. Oh well.

Your best bet is the track on Fulton and Carlton. Its open early in the morning (I believe 5-7:30) for anyone to use.

scooterjackson5 wrote: Related question: Where is the nearest track that is of decent quality?

Red Hook Recreation center.

daver wrote: Perhaps I should take ID too, in case I'm found lying face down in the gutter. Oh well.

Just write your full name on the inside of your shorts band. :P

best get a jogging partner.

girl was nearly raped in westside highway.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/09192007/news/regionalnews/jogger_fights_off_sex_fiend.htm

For real. If anyone wants to rob me of my sweaty college t-shirt and a pair of beat-up size 12 nikes, go for it. I was asking mostly to assuage my mother's fears about running in the dark, but I showed her your replies and I think she feels better.

As a woman, I always feel safer with a buddy. I know there are running sites that connect people.
A quick search found this:

http://www.brooklynroadrunners.org/

But there is another one too. I have it book marked at home, I'll post it later today.

When I run, I usually go about 4AM.

Good grief! How? The only way I could do that is on my way home from an evening of fine beverage consumption.

Found it:

http://groups.google.com/group/park-slope-runners

i'd be running up that road

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if i only could

I run in the park all year round, often on weekday evenings. Fall to spring its usually dark when I run. I've been doing this for years and have never had a problem. When the weather's warmer there are usually a lot of other people out on the loop road.

I was there last night around 7:30 til 9pm. Quite a few others where there too, plus the bikers and in-line skaters. There a re a few dark zones on the road where the street lights are out, but overall it felt pretty safe. Run with a friend if you can though.

germfree! wrote:

When I run, I usually go about 4AM.

Good grief! How? The only way I could do that is on my way home from an evening of fine beverage consumption.

Work in NJ, so I gotsta leave early. I just can't seem to do the exercise at night before bed thing, it doesn't work for me. So that leaves, before work, or weekends. Sometimes I does it, sometimes I sleeps.

if you run on the road loop around the park you can run in the pretty late - i'd say 10pm - without having to worry if you're a male. for females, i'd make sure to have a running buddy any time after dusk just to be cautious. i run the dirt trails around the park cause road running bores me and the paths have a lot more hills, and you really can't do that at all after dusk.

Speaking of hills, I usually incorporate 1/4 mile hill sprints into my training. (I'm a post-collegiate runner training for a marathon in the spring). Can any of you think of a decently steep hill in PH, PS or CH that would serve my needs? It would have to be at a relatively steep incline, 300-400 meters long, side street or in the park, and safe in the early AM or late afternoon.

I'm sure I'll be able to find these places on my own by exploring, but any ideas you have would be helpful.

scooterjackson5 wrote: Speaking of hills, I usually incorporate 1/4 mile hill sprints into my training. (I'm a post-collegiate runner training for a marathon in the spring). Can any of you think of a decently steep hill in PH, PS or CH that would serve my needs? It would have to be at a relatively steep incline, 300-400 meters long, side street or in the park, and safe in the early AM or late afternoon.

I'm sure I'll be able to find these places on my own by exploring, but any ideas you have would be helpful.

The last hill on the Prospect Park loop coming up into GAP usually kicks my butt if I've already been going awhile. I don't know if it meets your specs though.

I run pretty late and pretty early and pretty much all the time in the park. It feels safe enough to me and yeah, I'm not carrying any cash or a phone, just my keys and a GU.
You can always run the outter loop (ouside the actual park, the wide sidewalk along PPW/PPSW and so on) that runs around the park and is a bit longer (~4M vs. ~3.3M inside loop)

Redhook has a good track. Lots of the guys from the BRRC go there from time to time.

As for hills, not sure of any good ones. Just the mole hill in the park near GAP but if you run enough loops if feels big.

You might want to hook up with one of the local clubs:
Prospect Park Track Club (http://www.pptc.org/)
Brookly Road Runners (http://www.brooklynroadrunners.org/)

Both run primarly around the park area and have some decent runners, great runners and beginners. Basically any level.

Bumping to see if anyone had any advice about the center drive on weekday mornings--I've been running in little circles around Long Meadow for a couple of weeks and want to go further, but I'm not sure I have time to do the big loop on weekdays before work.

Would the Center Drive be safe? Because it seems like the serious bike riders (good to know what days they're out) would not be taking the short route through the middle of the park.

I've been going out at about 6:45am, when it's light out but you can't see the sun yet. Also, I presume that the park would be more empty when the weather isn't so good. It looks like the first good day this week is Thursday. :? Should I just wait until then?

I miss daylight savings time...

Emily wrote: Bumping to see if anyone had any advice about the center drive on weekday mornings--I've been running in little circles around Long Meadow for a couple of weeks and want to go further, but I'm not sure I have time to do the big loop on weekdays before work.

Would the Center Drive be safe? Because it seems like the serious bike riders (good to know what days they're out) would not be taking the short route through the middle of the park.

I've been going out at about 6:45am, when it's light out but you can't see the sun yet. Also, I presume that the park would be more empty when the weather isn't so good. It looks like the first good day this week is Thursday. :? Should I just wait until then?

I miss daylight savings time...

I've been out and there's people running at that time. I start at 7 and there's folks.